HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-21-23 Public Comments - M. Harrison - Stop, Look, Listen CbM,w�sS/o�
Stop — Look— LISTEN
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak tonight. I submitted for your consideration a
statement at the last meeting entitled, Missed Opportunities. I would like to thank
Commissioner Madgic for her thoughtful response to that message.
We teach our children to stop, look and listen when we introduce them to crossing a street
safely—the same advice must be used in deciding how to proceed with the Fowler Avenue
Extension.
STOP —the tract from Oak to Huffine is my main focus regarding the "need" to provide access
to the shopping areas to the north when we already have Cottonwood and Ferguson in place
to alleviate traffic on 19t". The portion of Fowler Avenue to the south has already been torn
up and "improved" by paving it. After listening and reading comments from the public there
does seem to be a need to get to Roseauers faster for several residents living south of town.
The overwhelming response to our survey is that people do not want this last natural open
space to be disturbed.
LOOK— let's meet at the site and have a picnic. You will see, feel and hear the quiet, earthy
and calming presence of nature. Preserving this natural habitat for the animals that reside
there is important. Ripping out native vegetation and paving over their home is not
acceptable and can easily be avoided by making this segment of Fowler arm Nature Art Walk.
How wonderful to have such an opportunity for the west side of town?
LISTEN — I have been waiting for a hero to come along who truly has been listening to our
communities' pleas not to go forward with this extension. We have laid out and sited many
reasons not to proceed. Listen to the statement that has been put forward that "because it
has been on the books for decades we cannot stop it". Really? Listen to the logic or lack
thereof of that statement. Things change over time and who could have predicted the rapid,
often unchecked, development of our beautiful valley thirty years ago
So I ask that we Stop — Look and Listen to the people of our city who want and need places to
go to be in one with nature —to nourish their souls and teach future generations the value
that Bozeman puts on our natural req)urses and the plants and animals that are trying so hard
to co-exist with us.